Attachment for handset



Jan. 8, 1957 C. D KEELY 2,777,017

ATTACHMENT FOR HANDSET Filed Sept. 23, 1953 'WIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIlllllllll-'Illlgllll 5 5 25 24 26 nnentor /7 a Uffa/QQ 0. 651g Y (Ittornegs ATTACHMENT FOR HANDSET Clifford' D. Keely, West Englewood, N. J.

Application September 23, 1953, Serial No. 381,897

3 Claims. (Cl. 179-157) My present invention relates to telephone attachments and may be regarded as an improvement over that described and claimed in my prior Patent 2,294,989 of September 8,I 1942. In that patent I disclosed an attachment for a handset phone consisting of a hinged blade attached to the grip of the handset` adjacent the receiver end thereof, and in inoperative position extending along one surface of such grip portion. Because such surface in the type of instrument then in vogue was inclined substantially to the horizontal when the handset was cradled, the blade in its operative position was enabled to extend downwardly upon the shoulder of the user and in such position served to support the handset in use without requiring the aid of the hands.

In another type of handset now in use, a diierent form of grip portion is had in which a cross section is substantially rectangular in shape and in which the top surface thereof is generally level when the same is at rest. More particularly, such top surface may be described as formed by moving a line generatrix while maintaining it in a generally horizontal attitude.

It is a principal object of my present invention to provide an attachment for the new type of handsetas above described, which as in my previously described embodiment will, when the telephone is being used, extend from the end of the grip portion adjacent the receiver, outwardly and downwardly so as to engage atwise from the shoulder of the user and enable him to use the instrument without the use of either hand.

In carrying out my invention, I apply a blade member, preferably obliquely hinged adjacent the receiver end of .the handset, which member When in inoperative position extends along the top of the handset but which in use makes a substantial angle with such surface while providing in addition to the hinge a swivel so as to enable the blade to occupy a limited angularly displaced position with reference to the longitudinal axis of the grip portion.

My invention is best understood by reference to the following detailed description, taken with the annexed drawings in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a handset when equipped with my improved device;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the attachment separated from the handset;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the device with the blade moved to its operative position;

Fig. 4 is a View of the handset with the attachment in place when not in use and showing in dot-and-dash lines the blade angularly displaced in its own plane before being hinged to its fully operative position;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 6 is a plan View of the device with the blade cut away in the plane ofthe hinge; and

Fig. 7 is a view in section on line 7-7 of Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. l, a handset type of instrument now coming in use having a grip portion 10 is shown in cradled position in the housing 11. Attached to the grip lPatented Jan. 8, 1957 ICC portion adjacent the receiver 12 is a blade member 13,

rthe same being hinged to a cap member 14 connecting the ends of a strap 15 extending around the grip portion 10. As shown in Fig. 3, the blade may be provided with a lining 13a of suitable material. As shown in Fig. 2, the cap member 14 is provided with ends 16, 16, bent to U-shape, which engage'the ends of strap 15 which are also bent into U-shape at 17 so' as to interfi-t with the end portions 16. Thereby when the sides of strap 15 are tightly pressed against the grip portion 10, the cap portion 14 may be brought into engagement with the ends of the strap 15 by a sliding movement and the parts held securely in place by the springiness of the strap 15 and lthe frictional engagement of the parts as will be evident from Fig. 7.

Blade 13l as shown in Fig. 2 has bent portions forming ears 18, the same being: punched to receive a pin 19 (Fig. 6). As will be evident from the figures, the hinged endof the blade 13 makes a substantial angle to the longitudinal axis of the blade, such end being parallel to the hinge. The purpose of the oblique position of the. hinge is in order that the blade may occupy the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, and from such position be angulanly moved upon its hinge to fthe limiting position of Fig. 3 as will be evident hereinafter. Engaging the hinge pin 19 is a swivel member 20 having formed integrally therewith or soldered thereto a member preferably of sheet metal shaped to form a hinge proper 21 for the pin 19. The swivel proper, actually in the form of a rivet, is joined to cap 14 by means of peened shank 22 and washer 23, such arrangement permitting the rotation of the swivel member 20 frictionally with respect to cap 14.

In order to limit the angular movement of the swivel member 20, the same is provided with a linger 24 which is caused to contact stops 25 and 26 which between them limit Vthe rotation of the swivel and consequently of the blade 13. Stops 25 and 26 may be formed by being punched up from the cap 14.

In use the blade 13 may be angularly rotated from its position shown in Fig. l and Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 4 whereupon the blade may be rotated upon its hinge (pin 19) until the obliquely extending end 27 (Fig. 2) comes into contact with the surface of the cap 14 whereupon the blade 13 will be in a position to engage the shoulder of the user and serve -to hold the same in place thereon, especially when aided by slight pressure exerted between the head and shoulder of the user. It will be noted that the relative location ofthe end 27 of the blade 13 and the pin 19 will determine how far back the blade may be moved. In general such movement will be somewhat less than for best results.

It will be understood that if desired the top of the handset may be recessed slightly so as to accommodate the blade 13. However, in either case the blade in its inoperative position more or Iless hugs the surface of the grip portion. If it is not desired to use the blade in the manner indicated, the same will in no wise interfere with gripping the handset in proper balance as originally intended.

It will further be noted that because the hinge 19 is obliquely disposed with reference to the grip 10, the blade 13 when moved on its swivel to the dotted position of Fig. 4 will, when moved upon its hinge a full 90 (a movement somewhat less than this is usually preferable), extend in a direction which is a substantial angular displacement from the longitudinal axis of the grip portion 10 in which extended position it will reach outwardly and downwardly so as to rest atwise upon the shoulder of the user and thus serve its intended function.

It will be understood that various changes may be made in the embodiment above described without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: l. In an attachment for a telephone of the handset type having a receiver and a transmitter, and a grip portion between the two,` and in which the grip portion has a substantially level top surface when cradled horizontally, said attachment comprising a blade which at rest extends substantially parallel to and above said top surface and in substantial contact therewith, said blade having means for securing same to the grip portion adjacent the receiver, said securing means comprising means for hinging the blade so as to enable it to have an endwise pivotal movement toward and away from said grip portion, a stop limiting such movement, and means to swivel said hinge means a limited amount to swing said blade away from the plane of said top surface and downwardly upon the shoulder of the user when in operative position.

2. An attachment for a telephone of the handset type having a receiver and a transmitter, and a grip portion 20 between the two, and in which the grip portion has a substantially level top surface when cradled horizontally, said attachment comprising a blade which at rest extends substantially parallel to and above said top surface and in substantial oontact therewith, and means for securing one end of said blade to the grip portion of the handset adjacent the receiver end thereof, such means comprising a hinge upon which said blade has a limited movement of rotation, said hinge in the rest position of said blade being disposed obliquely with respect to the longitudinal axis of `said grip portion and a mounting for said hinge permitting a limited rotative or swivel movement of same in its own plane whereby when said blade is moved to its limiting position on .the hinge and the hinge s swiveled in its own plane, said blade when the telephone is in the normal position of use will extend outwardly and downwardly so as to rest substantially flatwise upon the shoulder of the user.

3. The attachment according to claim 2 including stops limiting the swivel movement of the blade.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,584,807 Miner Feb. 8, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 118,062 sweden Feb. 4,11947 

